The sky above the Volcano of Cinder folded inward. The heavy brass cylinder of the Mana Jammer fell directly into the swirling red eye of the Grand Gate. The conflicting dimensional frequencies clashed in a violent and invisible war. The discordant hum turned into a silent and cosmic implosion.
Then the shockwave hit.
It was not a wave of physical fire or concussive force. It was a wave of pure dimensional distortion. The fabric of reality snapped back into its proper place like a stretched rubber band returning to its original shape.
Lucian rode the shockwave down toward the earth. The Solar Phoenix was a brilliant streak of white and gold against the collapsing red sky. He folded his massive wings and dove faster than a falling star to outrun the expanding ripple of raw magic.
On the ground in the ruined city of Ashbourne, Valeria watched the sky break apart.
